


Studio 3

by GeomEunSaeg



Series: WeVerse Shenanigans [3]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Happy Ending, Happy bday Hannie!, Idols, M/M, Maybe a bit Angst, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:21:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26794297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeomEunSaeg/pseuds/GeomEunSaeg
Summary: Joshua likes Jeonghan. He had for the past 6 years, so what about it? Oh right, the fact that his crush is currently in a relationship with their leader. Jeonghan feels bad for putting him in that position, but maybe the little push his dear friend needed was one (or maybe two) simple selfie. What exactly went down during quarantine?Note: Happy Angel Day! And Happy Bday to myself! This weverse post was the reason why i fell into the Jeongcheol fandom after a year as a carat, so its only fair I write a little something on my Hannie's bday. Enjoy!
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan, Hong Jisoo | Joshua & Yoon Jeonghan, Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Lee Seokmin | DK
Series: WeVerse Shenanigans [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1916797
Kudos: 47





	Studio 3

Studio 3 was sort of the multi-purpose practice room. It wasn’t completely emptied out for dance practices — there was a desktop computer and a keyboard in the corner, placed there by Jihoon for when he needed to make quick adjustments on the spot or when the most sudden of inspirations hit him. The room was big enough for their dance practices, so it was common for them to camp in this studio to practice for comebacks and covers, but they mostly ended up with them just fooling around. Sometimes they would just chill in there, talk about life, play games, write songs...

(Choreography videos were never filmed here though. There was too much mess lying around the room for proper filming.)

But if anything, Studio 3 was like a safe haven for all the members. Ever since pre-debut, this was the only room that had no cameras filming, no peeking eyes observing their every action, every decision for the showbiz. This studio was their privacy. Even in their own rooms, they were subjected to the cold, intrusive lenses of their cameramen working hard day by day to gather footage for promotions. In Studio 3, there was only them, 13 boys chasing the same lucid dream that they wore on their finger.

Now that their next comeback was just two weeks away, Joshua could feel the subtle tension in the room mixed into the damp air and the serious words coming from Soonyoung, who was busying himself with correcting every member’s movements for their Don’t Wanna Cry chorus.

“45 degrees! You are only raising it to 43!”

“How are you even seeing this, Hyung?”

Soonyoung playfully slapped Seokmin’s shoulder and laughed.

“A tiger’s eyes are superior to a mere human’s.”

This earned a smile, though tired, from the main vocalist, who proceeded to watch the choreographer demonstrate the intricate arm movement once more.

Joshua looked around. The others were hard at work for their various parts: Jun and Minghao were running through Jihoon’s part with Seungkwan, Vernon, Wonwoo, Chan and Mingyu, Seungcheol and Jihoon were nowhere to be found, probably back at the recording studio trying out some parts. His eyes then landed on the blond figure seated by the keyboard bench, panting as he held his bottle of water loosely in his hand. He had his sleeves rolled up and was supporting his weight with one arm. His eyes were staring at the polished dance floor.

Seeing his best friend in this state, he could only feel a tinge of pity for him. Jeonghan was not know to be the fittest member of Seventeen, and he admits to it too, but it was these times, when practice hours run way longer than they normally would and the room becomes a humid space of sweaty clothes, did he feel bad for his lack of stamina. His friend was a talent, yes, but he was not cut out to keep moving until the wee hours. 

In the first year of their debut, Joshua had seen Jeonghan pass out on the floor from exhaustion when the clock strikes two, one too many times, such that his roommate, Seungcheol, had to carry him back to their dorm. Even now, as the wall clock ticks away at 1 am in the morning, his drooping eyes severely contrasted the wide-eyed energy of the studio.

Joshua walked up to the blond idol and sat down next to him.

“Hannie, what do you think you are doing?”

A cute pout hung on his face.

“I am tired, Shua. I have been practicing the whole dance since 8. I think my legs are going to give way if I stood up.”

Joshua sighed at Jeonghan’s dramatic remark. He was certain that if Seungcheol came running in holding jjajangmyeon, his friend would suddenly find the energy to cross the entire studio to grab the bowl of hot noodles out of his hand. 

“I want to sleep~”

Jeonghan whined as he placed his head on Joshua’s shoulder. The weight of his head resting on him made his mind turn fuzzy. He hitched his breath as he felt his head shift slightly as he hummed softly to himself.

“Shua is so comfortable…”

Those four words sparked a familiar sense of warmth deep within him and all he could do is smile back at his best friend, who would not be able to see his dopey grin. 

Yes, Joshua liked Jeonghan. His best friend, closest confidant and fellow member.

He did not know when it happened. The feeling was akin to the sensation of standing on a muddy beach, sinking so slowly that you barely notice your feet being engulfed by the cold wet ground. He fell so slowly, over the past three years, and when he finally realised how far he had gone, he couldn’t see his legs anymore.

But he liked the whole process, feeling Jeonghan slowly becoming more and more a part of his life. It was exhilarating be with Jeonghan: never was there a dull moment with that cheeky, quick-witted, kind, beautiful… perfect person. He loved how warm he feels every time he sees him smile, every time he teases the other members, especially Seungcheol, who always got terribly embarrassed. 

The idol then noticed the prolonged silence. He checked his shoulder to see Jeonghan already fast asleep, his head somehow still balanced on his shoulder. He didn’t dare to move now, afraid of waking his friend, so instead he took his time to admire how his hair framed his face, how soft his lips looked, how ethereal he could be while sleeping. The warmth gradually spreaded all around him, consuming him whole.

Joshua was addicted to the feeling of loving Jeonghan.

His best friend.

\------

“C… E… G?”

“You got it! Wasn’t so hard right? Just a bit more practice and you will get it.”

“But my fingers hurt, Cheol~”

“You only learnt four bars of this piece!”

The playful bickering resonated in Studio 3, which was a welcomed addition to Jeonghan’s terrible playing. No one else was there but them, just the three 95 liners hanging out as per usual. That also means that no one else had to hear how god awful his playing was. His long, flexible fingers were surely fake: How could someone gifted with such beautiful piano hands be so bad as learning to play one.

Joshua sat by the wall, watching his two hyungs argue over the black-haired man’s progress.

Blame it on the pandemic. The whole team was bored out of their wits these days. Anime and dramas could only occupy them so much, and as musicians, they naturally wanted to do something a little more creative. Which led to Jeonghan begging Seungcheol to teach him how to play Flower on the piano. Why? Jeonghan refused to say. But here they are now, camping in the room as he struggled through the complicated chords.

The banter did not die out. Rather, the duo started teasing each other about their many misadventures. The cheesy selfies on Weverse mocked by the other. The small performance mistakes made at their last few stages. The conversation never seemed to end, so Joshua quietly whipped out his phone to scroll through some pictures. 

Secretly, Joshua was just looking at Jeonghan.

6 years now. Yet the man seated in front of him still had such a powerful effect on him. The way his nose scrunched up as Seungcheol rebutted his comments with silly replies melted his insides into goo. If not for the fact that his leader was also in the room with them, Joshua would have undoubtedly done something like pat his cheeks or ruffle his hair or laugh along with him or…

“Hannie! Stop distracting me! I promised to help you learn this and we are doing it!”

“Hehe. Yes, Mr Choi~”

A smile creeped up onto Jeonghan’s face and Joshua was determined to capture that winsome look to be kept forever with him. 

Raising his phone, Joshua tapped on the camera icon, then tapped again on the white circle. He was a little late. Jeonghan had already turned his back against him as he focused on listening to Seungcheol explain the next bar, but the picture was still good even though it wasn’t what he had wanted.

“Shua! Let me see!”

Joshua looked up at his friend and tilted his head in confusion.

“Huh?”

“The picture! You took one right? I saw. I want to see!”

Joshua felt the heat rise up to his cheeks as he ‘nonchalantly’ passed his phone to Jeonghan, who eagerly fawned over it.

“Wah! This is so nice! I’ll share it with myself okay?”

“What picture? Show me. I might upload it onto Wev…”

Their hands brushed against each other and then there was a pregnant pause. Like some lightbulb had just lit up within them, as their hands twitched at the sensation. They immediately looked up to find the other staring back with equal disarray and they kept their gaze on one another, as they tried to understand something. Almost at the same moment, Seungcheol tore his eyes away from Jeonghan, while the latter grabbed his hand away as his ears started to turn red.

They stayed like this, with a huge gap (which was only a few inches, since they normally stick close to one another) separating the two like the Great Wall of China. Both unyielding to the sudden awkwardness that enveloped the air.

Joshua felt it instantly. He saw every move, the intense look they had for each other and the subsequent shyness, and his world crashed again.

He should have known better. He was both their closest friend. He knew what was going on between them, the numerous affectionate acts disguised as fanservice to Carats and as brotherly love to their dongsaengs. But he was so blinded, his eyes could only see what Jeonghan did for him. His love, his warmth, his support. Even when it slowly lost its intensity as his attention shifted towards his lover.

As the collected one, the reasonable one, Joshua gave them his usual gentle smile before making up some excuse to leave Studio 3. A new episode came out, he told them. He had already watched it the night it was released, but the two of them returned his lie with genuine grins and waves goodbye. He hastily walked out of the room, trying his hardest to not break into a sprint. The cold wind that wiped his face gave him enough time to open the door down the hallway and collapse inside.

Who knew Studio 2 was such a great place to cry?

\------ 

Joshua wished he didn’t have to come back here again. Studio 3 was now his least favourite place. Everyone hung out here too often. Everyone, including Jeonghan and Seungcheol, who have only become more cuddly and touchy with the preparation of a new comeback. He would find ways to avoid going there, by joining Jihoon in his studio, or dragging Vernon, Seungkwan and Chan out for meals. As long as he didn’t need to go back there.

But fate was cruel, wasn’t it? To make him soft-hearted and too weak to refuse Seokmin when he practically dragged him into the room to play with the keyboard.

His reason? 

“Hyung, you looked down these days. You were barely focused during the last vocal practice. I know we are all busy for comeback, but that doesn’t mean we can’t relax, right? Let’s just play around, no one is gonna catch us even if we broke the table.”

Was he that obvious? Was he unable to set aside his feelings and work on his job seriously?

Yes. It had hurt. Now it was just an untreated open wound that felt too fresh for something from so long ago. He remained close to Jeonghan, because he couldn’t let a stupid infatuation ruin years of friendship, but he could not look at his smile the same way anymore. His heart still fluttered, but like broken butterfly wings instead.

Taking a seat next to the excited singer, they just hung around, playing a few interesting songs and singing along, chatting about small events that happened to them these past few days. To Seokmin, it must have felt just like a regular conversation with his hyung, but to Joshua, it was a reminder of what had been. These things were his and Jeonghan’s, their dirty little secret, but now he played that game with someone else.

“Let’s take a picture!”

Joshua immediately brought his mind back to reality as he stared at the man holding onto his phone. There was a hint of worry that furrowed his eyebrow slightly, but it was covered up with a bright smile that showed teeth, his sunshine personality masking his emotions well.

He gave him a polite nod and proceeded to lean toward the keyboard, posing with Seokmin as he tapped away on the white button.

Click.

His smile was forced, like the mask he wore everywhere.

Click.

His eyes were not looking at the screen, but rather the tiny lens at the top.

Click.

If he had looked at the screen instead, he would have saw it coming. The swift movement of Seokmin’s head. The feather-light peck on his cheek. That one second in time recorded into his phone.

Joshua jerked away instinctively and Seokmin straight away took that as a sign that his hyung was not exactly reciprocating his actions.

“I’m so sorry, Joshua. I shouldn’t have. I…”

The main vocal bit his lips before speaking again.

“I like you a lot, Shua. I really do. I didn’t mean to scare you like that, but… You get what I mean, right?”

Joshua stared at him in silence as his mind raced with thoughts.

Seokmin liked him. He liked him.

He didn’t seem to be lying that was sure.

The blood that rushed to his face felt so unjustified. Seconds ago, he was drowning in thoughts about Jeonghan, yet his mind felt cleared of all these horrible ideas, just with that small touch on his cheek. It was as if he broke away from the chains that had been holding him down all this while, and staring at Seokmin’s blubbering face made him feel light. Like he could just breath for once, unrestrained, free from the weight holding him down. 

Floating…

“You don’t have to like me back or anything. I just wanted to tell you. Get it off my chest.”

The longer he looked at Seokmin, the more he felt a strange warmth growing in him. Like the initial sparks of a campfire burning small flames to be tended. Everything felt so surreal to him. He wasn’t quite sure why.

Nevertheless, he knew his reply.

“Who said I didn’t?”

The words came out too quickly, without a second thought, and while he mentally slapped himself for such an impulsive move, he was elated to see the huge grin on Seokmin’s face when he heard his words. Honestly, he meant it. Wholeheartedly. 

Joshua handed the reins over to his heart as Seokmin gave him a tight hug. He hugged back, wrapping his arm around his strong back, indulging in the heat of his body coursing through him at that moment.

Like magic, the wound formed a scab. One day, it will come off by itself, and whether it scarred or not didn’t matter anymore.

\------

“See? Everything is fine now, Hannie. There is nothing to worry at all.”

“I was so scared, Cheol. I heard him cry that day and I knew we screwed up but I just couldn’t make it up to him…”

“You have nothing to make up for, Han. Him loving you was his choice. I am sure he didn’t regret it one bit.”

“But I hurt him so much. I couldn’t love him the way he wanted me to.”

“Now he has Seokmin right? He is not alone in this anymore. I am sure our little ray of sunshine will give him all the love he deserves.”

“You know I love you so much right Cheollie?”

“I love you too, Jeonghan.”

“Thank you for being my sunshine.”

“And thank you for being my little devil.”

“I am an angel!”

“You cheated the last time!”

“Too bad! You love me too much to stop me.”

“You’re right. I love you so much I would do it all over again for you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! love you guys!
> 
> The incident this morning caught me off guard, but omg jeonghan is a whole mood I would do that too. Once my exams are over i'll quickly write something on it!!


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